Dispenser



April 24, 1945. WHEELER 2,374,633

DISPENSER Filed Jan. 17, 1944 fiT-TOENEVS.

INV TOR.

Patented Apr. 24, 1945 UNITED STATES -oa Ftc1-aw p i 2,374,633 I l a DISPENSER James H. Wheeler, Milwaukee, Wis;

Application January '17, 1944; SeriaLNon518515s 5 Claims. (01. 2225226) This 'invention relates to improvements in dispensers, and more particularly to a device for delivering a limited or given quantity of a powdered or granulated commodity such assoap.

A 'generalobject :of the invention .is :to provide a dispenserfor powdered soap or the like which is: susceptible of easy attachment to a wall or supporting surface for conveniently delivering.

batches-of'material'to azuser, the dispenserbeing'easy and positive in its operation, susceptible of easy refilling, and: providing a compact and attractive container.

A more specific object of the inventionis to providewa powdered or granulated material dispenserequipped with a movable batch delivering mechanism having associated therewith a movable agitator to keep the material within the dispenser loose. and uncaked for ready delivery through the. delivering mechanism and fromthe dispenser.

A further object 01" the invention is toxprovide a dispenser in whichthecontainer or. housing,

box-like upright container I B of substantially rectangular form with 1 a curved lower: bottom portion In providingwithin theqlower portion of :thecontainer a-curverl wall ll I extendingaway from. a' hollow, internal boss 2-1 2; The opemupper end of' the container bodydfl is closed" bywarre movable cover l3; Themeeting edgeswof the container body and cover haves complementary shoulderszand recesses, as lbestl'shown in Ffigssa and 4; The back :wall ofthe icontainer body 1'0:

is formed with :an internal Tribal 4, and on zoppo site-sides of the rib 'are :screw apertures'il'5 The latter are for the purpose of "receiving: screws by which the container .body is affixed; to :axwall or support in proximity to "its point of ZUSBL 1T0. re-

movably hold the cover l3 on theacontainer :bbdy

HI in .a manner :to prevent 'itsaeasyz or: unauthoh ized removal and also making difficultaccess to' the headsszof attachingrscrewsdodged .zagainstithel apertures l 5, a cover bolt 1 6 is passed through-an opening in :the rear. of the cover :and .is threaded intoa tappedopening Ill :in saidrib'M: The head invention consistsof the improveddispenser, and

itsipartsand combinations, as set forth in the claims, and-all equivalents thereof.

,In the accompanying drawing in which the same reference characters" indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig.1 1. is a front view of the improveddispenser; l 1

2 is'a plan-view thereof with a portionof the cover-broken away :tO show" structural details of the delivering mechanism and agitator; t

Fig. 3 is a transverse, vertical sectionalview taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.; l

of the bolt l6, which is preferably hexagonaL'vis seated in a recess lit-t0 prevent removaliof the bolt except withta proper-toolu The' contalner body and cover A are preferably cast from a: suitable plastic and 'exteriorjportionsl-may :be attractively formed andldecorated. Theexactshape of the "container .and tits proportions is subject to variation, depending onwwheren the device is to be located, the commodity to be dispensedrand othercfactors. l l

A material delivering; grooved shaft is desig nated by the numeralflB anddt isadapted to be inserted through the bore oft'he container boss I2; said bore-being transverse of the container body and havingamopenend at one' 'side of the container. The 'outer end 01' the -shaft 1.9 has an integral hand'knob 20* for turning purposes. An intermediatemuter surface -portion of the shaft i l Bis formed *with an eccentric groove 21 whose shape-is lbest shown in l igi' 55 The top of the boss =I-2 is' formed'by e/flat; hortzontal shelf 22 which" partially overh'angm the shaft [9. Solid i shelf is provided with :a longi tudinal slot 23 having an enlargement "23 at o'ne' within the eccentric groove 2| of the shaft l9.

From the foregoing description the operation of the improved dispenser should be obvious. The user will hold one hand or a container below an outlet opening 26 in the lower portion of the container body If! and grasp the shaft knob with his other hand, turning the latter in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 or rearwardly. This movement will rotate the shaft I9 andcause a turning movement of the eccentric groove 2| relative to the axis of the shaft. The head of the stud of the agitator 24 rides in said groove 2! whereby the agitator is reciprocated back and forth lengthwise of the curved bottom portion of the container body. As the container body is packed or filled with a powdered or granulated commodity such as soap, the movement of the agitator, .which occurs every time the shaft is turned for dispensing purposes, keeps the commodity in a free and loose condition and prevents caking.

- The turning movement imparted to the shaft His also effective for dispensing or delivering a limited or given quantity of the commodity. Portions of thegroove 2| will, of course, register with the cavity of the container body and the powdered commodity will enter into the groove 2|. As the shaft is turned, portions of the groove 2| will ultimately register with the discharge opening 245 through which a limited quantity of the commodity will then drop for use. The exact location of the discharge opening 26 is-not important other than that it be arranged to register with the shaft groove 2} so that materialmay gravitate therethrough,

While the dispenser is especially well adapted for handling powdered or granulated soap, it is obvious that it could be used for the dispensing of grains, chemicals and similar products, it being obvious that for some of the latter products the container and delivering mechanism would be substantially larger than if the device were used for dispensing soap.

One of the important features of the invention is the simplicity of the dispenser and the facility with which the same may be assembled. In essence the dispenser comprises but four parts, all of which maybe molded from suitable plastics or any other suitable material, said parts comprising: the containerv body 10, the container cover l3,'the"integral delivering shaft l9 carrying the knob 20, and the agitator 24-. When the device is to be assembled the delivering shaft I9 is inserted through a side of the container body into the recess of the boss l2. The head 25 of the agitator stud is then entered through the shelf slot enlargement 23' and moved along. the slot so as to engage the shaft recess 2|. The shaft [9 is finally locked in its completely inserted position, and against undesired withdrawal by a peg 2'! which is driven through an opening in the bottom portion of the container body and caused to lodge in an annular groove 28 formed in the inner end of the shaft IS. The

mounting of the container bodyon a wall or Various eccentric movements of the agitator may. obviously be accomplished by irregularities in the shelf slot 23 and depth of the shaft slot 2l whereby, in addition-t0 reciprocations of the agitator in one direction, it could be caused to oscillate sidewise and also up and down.

From the foregoing description it; will appear that the improved dispenser is of very simpl and novel construction and is well adapted for the purposes described.

a What is claimed as the invention is:

l. A dispenser, comprising acontainer having a discharge opening in a lower portion thereof, a shaft revolubly mounted in a lower portion of said container and having a portion extending externally of the container for manipulating purposes, a portion of said shaft being formed with a curved groove, adapted, during turning movements of the shaft, to register with the interior of the container and with the discharge opening for delivering batches of material from the former to the latter, and an elongated eccentrically shaped agitator having a blade extending across the bottom of the container and a headed extremity engaging said shaft groove whereby turning movements of the shaft will reciprocate the entire agitator in a substantial path across the interior of the container. l

2. A dispenser, comprising a container having a discharge opening in a lower portion thereof, a shaft revolubly mounted in a lower portion of said container and having a portion extending externally of the container for manipulating purposes, said shaft being formed with a curved groove, adapted, during turning movements of the shaft, to register with the interior of the container and with the discharge opening for delivering batches of material from the former to the latter, a slottedshelf overhanging said shaft, and a bodily movable agitator within the container and having a portion extended through and guided by said shelf slot and lodged within said shaft groove whereby turning movements of the shaft will reciprocate the entire agitator in a predetermined path.

3. A dispenser, comprising a container having a discharge opening in a lower portion thereof, a shaft revolubly mounted in a lower portion of said container and having a portion extending externally of the container for manipulating pur- 4. A dispenser, comprising a container having a discharge opening in a lower portion thereof, a bearing recess within a lower portion of the container, a cylindrical shaft movably engaging said bearing recess and extending exteriorly of the container for manipulating purposes, means for securing the shaft'to the container, an intermediate portion of the surface of said shaft being formed with an endless curved groove affording communication between the interior of the container and the discharge opening, and an agitator bodily movably supported within the container and having a portion engaging said shaft groove whereby movements of the shaft reciprocate the entire agitator across the interior of the container.

5. In a dispenser, a hollow one-piece box-like tended through a side wall of the body into said recess and having an external, integral manipulating knob, a portion of the shaft within the body having an endless, curved material convey-v ing groove affording communication between the interior of the body and said discharge opening, a bodily movable agitator within the body and having a terminal portion seated insaid shaft groove whereby, when the shaft is turned, the entire agitator is moved in a substantial path across the interior of th container, a. one-piece cover closing the open upper end of the body, and fastening means between the body and cover.

,JAMES H. WHEELER. 

